Item of jewelry with changeable decoration

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an item of jewelry comprising a support bezel ( 3 ) for stones or other decorative motif, characterised in that said support bezel ( 3 ) is overlapped by an ornamental piece ( 4 ) arranged to hide only certain parts ( 5 ) of the stones and/or decorative motif on the bezel. The above is provided with a means for pivoting about a vertical axis with respect to the support face of the bezel ( 3 ) and for the automatic locking thereof with each rotation of the piece ( 4 ). The above finds application in rings or similar.

The present invention concerns a piece of jewelry with a transformabledesign.

It relates more particularly to jewelry in the form of a ring, broach,earring or like items, carrying decorative elements whose color can bemodified to be harmonized with an outfit or the desires of the personwearing the jewelry.

There is an already established technique, as described in patent FR 1381 490, a ring or similar item fitted with a setting carrying at leasttwo decorative elements that is mounted so that it pivots between thetwo edges of the opening of the ring's body in the shape of a split ringso that it provides users with the option of two or more displays.

Such a piece of jewelry, although satisfying, is inconvenient in that itnecessitates its removal from the finger so as to position anotherdecorative design.

The purpose of the invention is to propose a piece of jewelry with atransformable design which remedies the above inconvenience and toprovide new appeal for transformable jewelry.

In order to do so, the present invention concerns a piece of jewelryconsisting of a ring setting supporting precious stones and/or any otherdecorative design, characterized in that the supporting setting issurmounted by an ornament shaped so that it hides only certain parts ofthe stones and/or of the decorative design of the setting and fittedwith a mechanism which allows it to pivot about the axis perpendicularto the face of the setting as well as to lock automatically at eachstage of the piece's rotation.

As one of the design's advantageous characteristics, the supportingsetting is fitted with different sectors of precious stones and/ordesigns so that the size and shape of each sector is similar to each ofthe protruding parts of a central ring which composes the ornament.

Another feature is that the ornament is fitted with at least oneprotruding part so as to hide at least one of the sectors that arearranged in a regular way about the setting.

Yet another advantageous characteristic, the protruding parts of theornament are fitted with precious stones and/or decorative designs.

In this invention, the mechanism responsible for pivoting and automaticlocking is composed of an axis, made of a nut located at the center ofthe ornament, of a bolt, of an elastic element intended to fasten theornament to the setting, and of a locking system to stop the rotation ateach sector. The locking system is composed of a notch and of juxtaposedslopes arranged on the setting and work using “V”-shaped ridges of theornament that are able to seat themselves into a notch, and, under theforce of the elastic element stop rotation.

In another variant of the design, the mechanism responsible for pivotingand automatic locking of the ornament consists of two cylindrical piecesmounted coaxially, one of which is attached to the setting, the otherattached to the ornament, and both axially fixed by a clip such that thefree rotation of one of the cylindrical portions relative to the otheris resisted by the presence of an elastic element protruding from thebody of the cylindrical portion of the ornament so that it is seatedonto each sector of precious stones and/or design of the setting.

The above mentioned characteristics of the invention, as well as others,will appear more clearly upon reading the following description of asample assembly, by referring to the attached figures, on which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transformable ring constructedaccording to this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ring in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are top-down views of rings illustrating differentvariants of the invention's assembly, and

FIG. 4 is a cut-away partial view of a ring showing an assembly variantof the invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a ring 1 made out of a body 2 and in the shape of aring, and a setting 3 carrying precious stones and/or any otherdecorative design.

In this invention, this supporting setting 3 is surmounted by anornament 4 shaped so as to hide only certain parts of the preciousstones and/or of the decorative design of the setting 3 and fitted witha mechanism responsible for pivoting about the axis perpendicular to theface of the setting and automatic locking at each stage of the rotationof the piece 4.

In the preferred mode of assembly, the supporting setting 3 hasdifferent sectors 5 of precious stones and/or of design so that the sizeand shape of each sector is similar to each of the protruding parts 6 ofa central ring 7 which composes the ornament 4.

This ornament 4 has at least one protruding part 6 intended to hide atleast one of the sectors 5 that are arranged in a regular fashion on thesetting 3. So, as an example, the ring 1 represented on FIGS. 1 and 2has three protruding parts 6 on the ornament 4 and nine sectors 5 ofprecious stones.

One will note that protruding parts 6 of the ornament 4 can also befitted with precious stones and/or ornamental designs so as to create,with the different colors of stones forming the setting 3, a ring thatcan be changed to accommodate with one's outfit, for example.

As shown on FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, the shape of the protruding parts 6 ofthe ornament 4 can be of very diverse shape and size.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the mechanism of pivoting and automaticlocking is advantageously composed of an axis formed, for example, of anotch 8 situated at the center of the ornament 4, of a bolt 9, of anelastic element 10 intended to fasten the ornament 4 to the setting 3,and of a locking system to stop the rotation at each sector. The lockingsystem is composed of notches 11 and of juxtaposed slopes 12 arranged onthe setting 3 and work using “V”-shaped ridges of the ornament 4 thatare able to seat themselves into a notch 11, and, under the force of theelastic element 10, stop rotation.

Each sector 5 of the setting 3 has a notch 11 and a pair of slopes 12placed close to notch 11, forming, therefore, a notch locking systemwhen the ornament 4 is rotating.

One can then understand that in order to change the appearance of thering 1 by hiding certain designs and/or stones, it is sufficient topress gently clockwise or counter-clockwise on the ornament 4 so as tomake it rotate until the hidden designs appear and those situated next,according to the direction of rotation, disappear, engaging at the sametime the ridges of the ornament 4 in the notches 11 of the sectors 5 ofthe setting 3 now hidden.

Such a change in the design can be made at will, that is to say, at anymoment and, without even removing the ring from the finger. This willresult in a rapid modification of the aesthetic appearance of the ring.Moreover, it is possible to fit on the setting a design of preciousstones on certain sectors only, so as to enable one to hide them withthe ornament, sheltering them from the interest of potentiallyill-intentioned individuals.

Note that the mechanism responsible for pivoting and locking is entirelyhidden by the central part of the ornament.

Shown in FIG. 4, is a variant of assembly of the pivoting and lockingmechanism of the ornament 4 that consists of two cylindrical pieces 13and 14 mounted coaxially, one of which 13 is attached to the setting 3,the other 14 attached to the ornament 4, and both axially fixed by aclip 15 such that the free rotation of one 14 of the cylindricalportions relative to the other 13 is resisted by the presence of anelastic element 16 protruding from the body of the cylindrical portion14 of the ornament 4 so that it is seated 17 onto each sector 5 ofprecious stones and/or design of the setting 3.

Notice that the elastic element 16 is concealed in the body 14 of theornament 4 by compression when it is pulled by the rotation until itmeets an element 17 corresponding to a design that will be hidden by theornament.

Understand then that the piece of jewelry described by this invention isrelatively simple to produce and enables the simple creation of at leasttwo difference pieces of jewelry with only one base.

Even though the invention has been described with two modes of assemblyof a ring in particular, it provides for all the equivalent techniquesof the described instructions. This is why the piece of jewelrydescribed by this invention can apply to a ring, a broach, earrings, orsimilar items.

1. The piece of jewelry consists of a supporting setting (3) of stonesand or any other decorative designs, characterized in that thesupporting setting (3) is surmounted by an ornament (4) shaped so thatit hides only certain parts (5) of the stones and/or of the decorativedesign of the setting (3) and fitted with a mechanism which allows it topivot about the axis perpendicular to the face of the setting (3) aswell as to lock automatically at each stage of the piece's rotation (4).2. The piece of jewelry, in particular the ring, according to claim 1,is characterized in that the supporting setting (3) is fitted withstones and/or design so that the size and shape of each sector issimilar to each of the protruding parts (6) of a central ring (7) whichcomposes the ornament (4).
 3. The piece of jewelry, according to claim2, is characterized in that the ornament (4) is fitted with at least oneprotruding part (6) so as to hide at least one of the sectors (5) thatare arranged in a regular way about the setting (3).
 4. The piece ofjewelry, according to claims 2 or 3, is characterized in that theprotruding parts (6) of the ornament (4) are fitted with stones and/orornamental designs.
 5. The piece of jewelry, according to any of theproceeding claims, is characterized in that the mechanism of pivotingand automatic locking is advantageously composed of an axis formed, forexample, of a notch (8) situated at the center of the ornament (4), of abolt (9), of an elastic element (10) intended to fasten the ornament (4)to the setting (3), and of a locking system to stop the rotation at eachsector composed of a notch (11) and of juxtaposed slopes (12) arrangedon the setting (3) and work using “V”-shaped ridges of the ornament (4)that are able to seat themselves into a notch (11), and, under the forceof the elastic element (10), stop rotation.
 6. The piece of jewelry,according to claims 1 through 4, is characterized in that the pivotingand locking mechanism of the ornament (4) consists of two cylindricalpieces (13) and (14) mounted coaxially, one of which (13) is attached tothe setting (3), the other (14) attached to the ornament (4), and bothaxially fixed by a clip (15) such that the free rotation of one (14) ofthe cylindrical portions relative to the other (13) is resisted by thepresence of an elastic element (16) protruding from the body of thecylindrical portion (14) of the ornament (4) so that it is seated (17)onto each sector (5) of precious stones and/or design of the setting(3).